To Deck or Not to Deck

Downtown Book Ladies met last night. I guess we spent fifteen minutes helping ourselves to wine and food, five minutes discussing the book, half an hour gossiping, and the rest of the evening discussing various aches and pains. The weather's a bitch and it feels good to grumble.

It was so unseasonably warm for so long this fall that it doesn't feel like the holiday season's upon us. I stay out of stores as much as possible, don't read the paper, watch TV, or listen to the radio, so I'm pretty much out of the loop anyway. Walking into Carol's cozy condo in the McIntosh building, I was surprised to see it fully decked out for Christmas. And boy, did it look adorable. When you've got a manageable space, good taste, and no pets, there's a lot you can do.

My usual modus operandi is to decorate on Christmas Eve, or very close to it, and leave everything in place till Epiphany. I'm flat out with work right now, not to mention flat broke, and Silvie's not going on any unnecessary errands until she gets her studded snow tires put on. But this little snow village gave me an irresistible desire to buy a ten-foot-tall live tree, get out my fifteen or so boxes of garlands and lights and ornaments, and deck my own halls.

Celebrating Repeal Day

Today is Repeal Day. On January 16, 1919 the 18th amendment to the Constitution (inaugurating Prohibition) was ratified. On December 5, 1933 it was repealed by the 21st amendment. I'm not a heavy drinker, or even a regular drinker, but as I'm generally wary of any sort of repression or censorship, this is a holiday I can grok.

The 18th Amendment

Ratified January 16, 1919

Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

The 21st Amendment

Ratified December 5, 1933

Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use there in of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.